2008 Woodie Awards
Returning to Granada
Culture, language and romance made one student to return to Spain for a second term
Nic Zweifel, For the Mirror
Issue date: 10/1/08 Section: Perspectives
For those of you who are regular readers of the Mirror you may have noticed that I contributed a few articles while I was abroad in Spain last semester.
Well, in mid-May I finally made the decision to return to Granada, Spain for one more term. As my decision slowly seeped out to my friends and family everyone began to ask the same questions: "Nic, are you really going back? You must have really liked it over there…" or "So, are you like fluent in Spanish now?," and sometimes, "You met a girl over there didn't you?!"
The simple answers to these questions are yes, I'm writing this piece sitting in my apartment in Granada; no, I'm not fluent in Spanish but someday I hope to be; and yes, I met a lot of females while I was in Spain and I plan on meeting more.
These answers may be satisfying to some, however, more detailed responses can help explain why I decided to keep my "Drury experience" on hold and return to Granada for one more semester.
I love Drury University, it's community, the campus, and the experiences I gain from it so my decision was far more complicated than declaring, "I really like it here so I am going to stay longer."
The truth is that I do really like it here. In fact, I love Granada and what it has to offer students. There are so many aspects of the culture and lifestyle that make it perfect for a student.
Public transportation is superb; one does not need a personal car to travel around the region, country, or continent. The daily routine features a three hour break from 2 to 5 p.m. (called "siesta"), which includes time for lunch, a nap, and una merienda (a Spanish snack usually involving chocolate).
To put the cherry on top one can expect social life on the weekends to reach into the wee hours of the morning (7 a.m.).
Of course, in order to truly experience all of this wonderful culture one must communicate in Spanish. Needless to say my Spanish has improved tremendously since I've arrived but I still have a long way to go.
Well, in mid-May I finally made the decision to return to Granada, Spain for one more term. As my decision slowly seeped out to my friends and family everyone began to ask the same questions: "Nic, are you really going back? You must have really liked it over there…" or "So, are you like fluent in Spanish now?," and sometimes, "You met a girl over there didn't you?!"
The simple answers to these questions are yes, I'm writing this piece sitting in my apartment in Granada; no, I'm not fluent in Spanish but someday I hope to be; and yes, I met a lot of females while I was in Spain and I plan on meeting more.
These answers may be satisfying to some, however, more detailed responses can help explain why I decided to keep my "Drury experience" on hold and return to Granada for one more semester.
I love Drury University, it's community, the campus, and the experiences I gain from it so my decision was far more complicated than declaring, "I really like it here so I am going to stay longer."
The truth is that I do really like it here. In fact, I love Granada and what it has to offer students. There are so many aspects of the culture and lifestyle that make it perfect for a student.
Public transportation is superb; one does not need a personal car to travel around the region, country, or continent. The daily routine features a three hour break from 2 to 5 p.m. (called "siesta"), which includes time for lunch, a nap, and una merienda (a Spanish snack usually involving chocolate).
To put the cherry on top one can expect social life on the weekends to reach into the wee hours of the morning (7 a.m.).
Of course, in order to truly experience all of this wonderful culture one must communicate in Spanish. Needless to say my Spanish has improved tremendously since I've arrived but I still have a long way to go.
Article last update: 9/30/08 at 8:04 PM CST
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